Decoy duck



Patented Mar. 20, 1934 DECOY DUCK Arthur D.'Massie, Duluth, iMinn.

Application December 9,1932, Serial 3 1 Claims.

anchor line and reel for the control of same which isv more simple in construction and having utilitarian features not heretofore known in devices ofthis type.

Other specific objectsand advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring'now to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a vertical central section through the body portion of the decoy longitudinally thereof and showing the head and weight in elevation.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a fragmental portion of the body of the duck with the head removed.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan View of the friction spider.

It is believed old in the art to produce decoys of flat elliptically shaped body portions having removable heads, and reels therein for the control of a tether and anchor therefor. However it is deemed novel to provide a body for a decoy having a central counterbored chamber wholly therethrough and covered with a sheet metal plate which also functions as a support and locking member for the removable head of the decoy. Furthermore it is deemed novel to provide readily adjustable means for increasing or decreasing the braking effect of the reel so that it requires hand operation both for winding and unwinding, as well as a novel attachment for the removable head.

The embodiment here illustrated is that of a wooden decoy the body portion of which is illustrated at 1 and the head at 2, while approximately centrally of the body portion is formed preferably a counterbored or stepped chamber including the larger bore 3 and the smaller bore 4. A

\ preferably circular chamber 5 is also formed in the upper surface of the body portion forwardly of the central chamber for the head locking attachment which will be described later. Covering these two chambers is the sheet metal wearing and holding plate 6 attached in any desired manner by the countersunk screws '7 extending into the wooden body, and, as is obvious, this covering plate has an extension 8 for accommodation of the head locking device.

Centrally of the major portion of the covering plate is fixed a depending spindle-9 .which occurs centrally of the bore or'chamber in-the-body,--and the lower, portion of which spindle ispreferably hollow and screwthreaded for the reception-0f the screw 10. About this spindle is carried: the reel 11 which is of common construction and quite-similarto those used in fishing tackle. -However intermediate of the reel and the under face of thecoverficis an arcuately shaped spider likefriction; disc 21, v.65 theprongs of which engagetheunder face-of the cover -6 and the-central= portion impinges against the; hub of the-reelso, that frictionalcontact with the reel. may be increased :or decreased by first bending the prongs 12 of the spider sufli- .70 ciently to provide the desired friction against the reel when the latter is held tightly in position by the setting up of the screw 10 in the hole of the spindle 9.

The hawse or anchor line hole 13 is preferably of funnel shape, and the anchor 14 conically shaped so as to fairly snugly fit therein, the larger end at least should fill the hawse hole as soon as it disappears within the body of the decoy. The hawser or anchor line is shown at 15 and is e wound about the reel, it preferably passing through a staple or eyelet 16 conveniently supported upon the stepped portion of the bore directly opposite the innermost opening to the hawse hole to act as a guide in normally keeping .595 the line centrally of the reel.

The shape of the anchor is appreciated when consideration is given to the advantage of same where the decoys are used in a weedy location, as this shape is practically Weedless so faras fouling 3 9 is concerned.

This fiat form of decoy, having a removable head, is well known to have advantages over the ordinary cylindrically shaped decoy, and this is augmented by the simple formof attachment for 5 the head in that a T-shaped pin 1'? is screw threaded or otherwise fixed to the under side of the head, and designed to fit within the fore and aft elongated slot 18 in the extension 8 of the cover plate which occurs directly over the cham- F1 0 her 5 in the body when the head is at right angles thereto but this position is never employed when the decoy is in action, as a preferred position is that of the head pointing forwardly substantially as shown in the drawing. Thus when the head 1105 is in any position other than at right angles to the body portion and the head of the pin 1'7 within the chamber 5, the head of the duck will be securely locked to the body portion. Then when removal of the head is desired, all that is necessary other, which, obviously, avoids the necessity andv consequent discomforture of wetting the hands or any portion of the hunters paraphernalia.

It is obvious that when the anchor is drawn up tightly. into position the decoy is of exceptionally neat and simple assembly, and necessitating only a sudden jerk endwise to liberate the anchor sufficiently for withdrawal with one hand to the desired depth of water where it will remain without further adjustment. It will also be obvious that there is sufiicient drag by the anchor and its line to compensate for the lack of weight caused by the hawse hole 13 in the rear end of the decoy to result in the same nevertheless riding in level, upright position in the water.

Another advantageous feature of the decoy, though not essential to the proper functioning of the' other parts just described, is that of the formation of the eyes, as well as the nostrils, and that is that portions of these imitation organs are sunken as at 20, and said sunken portions carrying the desired color, so that when the decoy is washed or otherwise frictionally engaged about these parts they will not become obliterated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a decoy having a flat body portion, a removable head, a chamber centrally of the body portion and a chamber beneath the head, of a unitary covering plate for both chambers, an anchor line and anchor for the decoy, a reel support fixed to the covering plate and extending within the central chamber, a reel carried upon said support to which the anchor line is attached, and attaching means for the head optionally operable within the second mentioned chamber and through the covering plate.

2. The combination with a decoy having a removable head and spaced chambers therein opening throughthe upper portion thereof, of a unitary covering plate for said chambers, anchor control mechanism carried by the plate in one of said chambers and head control means operable in the other chamber through the plate.

3. The combination with a decoy having a removable head and spaced chambers therein opening through the upper portion thereof, of a unitary covering plate for said chambers, anchor control mechanism carried by the plate in one of said chambers and head control means operable in the other chamber through the plate, and friction means between the anchor control mechanism and said plate whereby a predetermined length of anchor line is held constant.

ARTHUR. D. MASSIE. 

